September 2012

September 18, 2012



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NEWS!!!

NY Comic Con Hosts Zetman/Tiger & Bunny's Masakazu Katsura


Tiger & Bunny producer Masayuki Ozaki to also attend October 11-14 event

The mobile app for this year's New York Comic Con is listing that manga creator and character designer Masakazu Katsura (Zetman, I''s, Video Girl Ai) will attend the convention. Katsura will speak at a Tiger & Bunny panel and he will also attend Viz Media's Shonen Jump Alpha panel.

Katsura designed the characters for the Tiger & Bunny television anime series and also drew a one-shot manga for the series. His Zetman dark hero manga received a television anime adaptation earlier this year. A number of his other manga, including DNAČ, I''s, and Video Girl Ai have also received anime adaptations. Viz Media released I''s and Video Girl Ai in North America.

Tiger & Bunny producer Masayuki Ozaki will also attend the convention after also attending last year.

New York Comic Con will be held at the Javits Convention Center from October 11-14. The convention will also host actress/singer Yuu Asakawa, Blogger/TV host Danny Choo, Crypton Future Media, artist Yoshitaka Amano, and manga creator Moyoco Anno.




Funimation's A Certain Magical Index DVDs Delayed 6 Weeks


North American anime distributor Funimation has delayed its DVD release of A Certain Magical Index by six weeks. The two-part collection of DVDs was bumped from October 30 to December 11. Funimation announced the English dub cast and revealed the original DVD release date earlier this year.




Oshii Declines to Comment on, Yuuki Denies Knowledge of Live-Action Patlabor


During a recent talk show between Studio Ghibli Producer Toshio Suzuki and anime director Mamoru Oshii, Suzuki asked Oshii "So, is Patlabor getting a live-action movie?" to which Oshii answered "Like I'd be able to tell you that!" but followed up by noting that he had "suddenly become busy." Suzuki then suggested that the project he suggested would be foreign-funded, and Oshii replied by saying "That's a different story."

Later, Mobile Police Patlabor manga artist Masami Yuuki posted on his Twitter account that he had no knowledge of any new Patlabor film project in the works, whether it be animated or live-action, and that he wished that people would not make "political moves like that," referring to talks of a live-action Patlabor.




Hatsune Miku Song 'Senbonzakura' Inspires Novel


Original illustrator Ittomaru in charge of novel's characterization, story

Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works has announced that it will be publishing a novel adaptation of the Hatsune Miku song "Senbonzakura" (One Thousand Cherry Blossoms) written and composed by Kurousa-P.

In an interview about the new novel, ASCII Media Works editor-in-chief Takayasu Hatano noted that he cannot yet divulge the details of the novel's story, but he did note that because the original song is loved by so many, the staff is making sure that the original mood of the song is not harmed, and the novel will contain the same characteristics of the original song.

Hatano did reveal that the novel will feature Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Kagamine Len attending school, and the trio will wear the uniforms featured in Ittomaru's designs in the original music video. Ittomaru is also in charge of the character design and the original story for the upcoming novel.

When the original "Senbonzakura" music video was uploaded to Nico Nico Douga, it received more than 4.3 million views in less than a year. The song was also the second-most used song in Joysound's karaoke rankings for the first half of 2012.

Source: Anime News Networksoel





September 17, 2012



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NEWS!!!

Metal Gear 25th Anniversary Book Collection Limited to 2,500


7-book art/data archive for the price of a Wii U, offered via random drawing

Konami began offering a special collector's set for the 25th anniversary of its Metal Gear game franchise. The set, which includes seven exclusive art and data books for the series, will be limited to only 2,500 copies. People can only purchase the set for 26,250 yen (about US$335) after being chosen among the winners of a random drawing on the KonamiStyle website.

The art books cover the works for the series from 1987 to 2012. They include the Metal Gear Solid Scenario Book, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Scenario Book, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Scenario Book, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker Scenario Book, The Art of Metal Gear Solid Gallery Works, and The Art of Metal Gear Solid Studio Works. Each Metal Gear 25th Anniversary Metal Gear Solid Collection also comes with a unique serial code, a collector's box, and an aluminum alloy case for the two art books.

The first game of the series, Metal Gear, debuted in 1987 for the MSX2 home video gaming console. Hideo Kojima, original designer for the Metal Gear Solid series, announced the next numbered installment, Metal Gear Solid 5, this past June.




Mazinger's Tsuyoshi Nonaka Returns to Pacific Media Expo


Mazinkaizer SKL designer to make 2nd appearance at Los Angeles convention in November

Pacific Media Expo's official Facebook page announced on Sunday that animator Tsuyoshi Nonaka will appear at this year's convention on November 9-11 at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport.

Nonaka served as mechanical designer for the mecha television anime Shin Mazinger Shōgeki! Z-Hen and D.I.C.E. and the Mazinkaizer SKL original video anime. This will mark Nonaka's second appearance at the California convention.

Nonaka has been a boy's toy designer and planner at the Japanese toy company Bandai for more than 20 years. His duties include creating robots, vehicles, and weapons for children's television programs and transforming them into toys. Nonaka has also worked as a designer for the live-action Super Sentai (Power Rangers) and Kamen Rider television series. Nanoka is the head of the American division of the Bandai affiliate company PLEX International Design, where he designs toys based on the Power Rangers, Ben 10 and Thunder Cats kids' programs.

PMX also announced on Sunday that it will host the visual kei band Moon Stream. In 2011, Satsuki of the band Renter en Soi and Tomo Asaha of the band echostream collaborated to form Moon Stream. The band performed at Anime Weekend in Atlanta in Georgia that same year.

PMX will also host illustrator/character designer/animator Mamoru Yokota (Kanon, Death Note), and voice actresses Cristina Vee, Sarah Williams, Lauren Landa, and Christine Marie Cabanos.




Gundam 00 Assistant Director Masaki Kitamura Charged for Massacre Threat


42-year-old anime technical director Masaki Kitamura was charged on Friday with interfering with a public official's duties after being arrested in August for allegedly writing "I will commit a massacre" on the city's website. According to the police, the suspect denied the charges, saying, "I'm completely innocent."

The suspect is accused of going to Osaka's inquiry page on the Internet and writing, "I will commit a massacre in Otaroad [in Osaka's Nipponbashi area] next Sunday. I will ram into pedestrian paradise, and after stabbing indiscriminately with a knife, I will commit suicide" on July 29 at about 9:45 p.m. "Pedestrian paradise" is the traditional practice of cordoning vehicles off a particular street or streets and limiting the area to foot traffic. Nipponbashi's Otaroad is essentially Osaka's otaku shopping counterpart to Tokyo's Akihabara.

Kitamura was an assistant director on both seasons of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. He was also a director of the 10th installment of Gundam Evolve and an episode director on Ergo Proxy, GUNxSWORD, Intrigue in the Bakumatsu - Irohanihoheto, Planetes, Wolf's Rain, and other series.




1st English-Subbed Code Geass: Akito BD Slated for January


The official website for Code Geass: Akito the Exiled updated on Friday, revealing the January 29 release date for the first English-subtitled Blu-ray Disc volume in Japan.

The Blu-ray Disc Limited Edition includes the first episode "Yokuryū wa Maiorita" (The Wyvern Has Landed), a drama CD, a 24-page book of liner notes, and ending credits illustration cards. The disc includes part one of a mechanic making-of featurette, teaser and full trailers, commercials, and audio commentary. The limited edition retails for 7,140 yen (about US$92) and comes in a sleeve case designed by character designer Takahiro Kimura. The standard Blu-ray retails for 6,090 yen (US$79) with only the trailers and commercials as extras. The DVD (with the trailers and commercials, but without English subtitles listed) retails for 5,040 yen (US$65).

"Hikisakareshi Yokuryū" (Slashed-Up Wyvern), the second volume of the Code Geass: Akito the Exiled spin-off original video anime, is scheduled for next Spring. The series is planned for four episodes.

Source: Anime News Networksoel





September 15-16, 2012



Thank you for those who came out to Comikaze Expo this weekend. We had a wonderful time and we can't wait to see you next year. Stay cool everyone!

By the way, this is the last weekend of summer. Are you ready for autumn?





September 1-2, 2012



Wow! Another month went on by so fast. It won't be long until we start celebrating Thanksgiving. A new month means new products. So, don't forget to check out our New Arrival section on our site. You might find something that you will love or for someone dear.





*IF YOU MISS OUT ON ANYTHING FOR THESE MONTHS, COME CHECK IT OUT UNDER THESE SECTIONS.